System and Method for Single Radio Handover

1. A method for performing single radio handover, the method comprising: establishing a source radio link between a source radio interface of a mobile node and a source network in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein the source radio interface includes a source transmitter and a source receiver that are configured to communicate in accordance with the first communications protocol when activated; activating, by the mobile node, a target receiver in a target radio interface of the mobile node without activating a target transmitter in the target radio interface of the mobile node, wherein the target receiver and the target transmitter are configured to communicate in accordance with a second communications protocol when activated; discovering, by the mobile node, a target network by detecting a target network transmission using the activated target receiver, wherein the target transmitter remains deactivated until after the target network transmission is detected by the activated target receiver; communicating handover signaling to a target access point in the target network, the handover signaling specifying a delay period for handing the mobile node from the source network to the target network, wherein the target transmitter remains inactive when communicating the handover signaling to the target access point; terminating the source radio link upon expiration of the delay period; and activating, by the mobile node, the target transmitter of the target radio interface after terminating the source radio link.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: establishing a tunnel for communicating handover related signaling from the mobile node to a target access point in the target network, wherein the tunnel extends at least partially through the source network, and wherein the handover signaling is communicated from the mobile node to the target access point via the tunnel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the handover signaling comprises link pre-registration information for a target radio link to be established between the mobile node and the target network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the target transmitter establishes a target radio link between the target radio interface of the mobile node and the target network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the target receiver in the target radio interface of the mobile node without activating the target transmitter in the target radio interface of the mobile node comprises: sending, by a media independent handover function (MIHF) of the mobile node, a media independent handover (MIH) link service access point (SAP) primitive (MIH_LINK_SAP_primitive) to the target radio interface of the mobile node, the MIH_LINK_SAP_primitive carrying a link receiver on (Link_RX_ON) action instructing the target radio interface to activate the target receiver without activating the target transmitter.

6. A mobile node comprising: a source radio interface comprising a source transmitter and a source receiver that are configured to communicate in accordance with a first communications protocol when activated; a target radio interface comprising a target transmitter and a target receiver that are configured to communicate in accordance with a second communications protocol when activated; and a processor configured to establish a first radio link between the source radio interface and a source network, to activate the target receiver without activating the target transmitter, to discover a target network by detecting a target network transmission using the activated target receiver, to communicate, to the target network, handover signaling that specifies a delay period for handing the mobile node from the source network to the target network, to terminate the first radio link upon expiration of the delay period, and to activate the target transmitter of the target radio interface after terminating the first radio link, wherein the target transmitter remains deactivated until after the target network transmission is detected by the activated target receiver.

7. The mobile node of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish a tunnel from the mobile node to a target access point in the target network, wherein the handover signaling is communicated from the mobile node to the target access point via the tunnel, and wherein the target transmitter remains inactive when communicating the handover signaling to the target access point.

8. The mobile node of claim 6 , wherein activating the target transmitter establishes a target radio link between the target radio interface of the mobile node and the target network.

9. A method for performing single radio handover, the method comprising: establishing a source radio link between a mobile node and a source network in accordance with a first communications protocol; communicating, by the mobile node, handover signaling over the source radio link to achieve pre-registration of a target radio link, the target radio link to be established between the mobile node and a target network in accordance with a second communications protocol, the mobile node including a target transmitter configured to communicate in accordance with a second communications protocol when activated, wherein the handover signaling specifies a delay period for handing over the mobile node from the source network to the target network, and wherein the target transmitter remains deactivated during the delay period; terminating, by the mobile node, the source radio link upon expiration of the delay period; and establishing, by the mobile node, the target radio link after terminating the source radio link.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating the handover signaling over the source radio link comprises: communicating, by the mobile node, the handover signaling over a tunnel extending from the source radio link to the target network, wherein the tunnel extends at least partially through the source network.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating the handover signaling over the source radio link comprises: forwarding a link layer handover message over a tunnel to a proxy server in the source network, wherein the proxy server encapsulates the link layer handover message into a media independent handover (MIH) frame, encapsulates the MIH frame into a transport control protocol (TCP)/user datagram protocol (UDP) over internet protocol (IP) frame, and forwards the TCP/UDP over IP frame to a proxy server or access point in the target network.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating the handover signaling over the source radio link comprises: encapsulating a link layer handover message within a media independent handover (MIH) frame; and forwarding the MIH frame over a tunnel to a proxy server in the source network, wherein the proxy server encapsulates the MIH frame into a transport control protocol (TCP)/user datagram protocol (UDP) over internet protocol (IP) frame and forwards the TCP/UDP over IP frame to proxy server or access point in the target network.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating the handover signaling over the source radio link comprises: encapsulating, by the mobile node, a link layer handover message within a media independent handover (MIH) frame; encapsulating, by the mobile node, the MIH frame into a transport control protocol (TCP)/user datagram protocol (UDP) over internet protocol (IP) frame; and forwarding the TCP/UDP over IP frame over a tunnel to proxy server or access point in the target network.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein establishing the target radio link after terminating the source radio link comprises activating the target transmitter to establish the target radio link.

15. A mobile node comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to: establish a source radio link between the mobile node and a source network in accordance with a first communications protocol; communicate handover signaling over the source radio link to achieve pre-registration of a target radio link, the target radio link to be established between the mobile node and a target network in accordance with a second communications protocol, the mobile node including a target transmitter configured to communicate in accordance with a second communications protocol when activated, wherein the handover signaling specifies a delay period for handing over the mobile node from the source network to the target network, and wherein the target transmitter remains deactivated during the delay period; terminate the source radio link upon expiration of the delay period; and establish the target radio link after terminating the source radio link.

16. The mobile node of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to communicate the handover signaling over the source radio link includes instructions to: communicate the handover signaling over a tunnel extending from the source radio link to the target network, wherein the tunnel extends at least partially through the source network.

17. A method for achieving link preregistration during single radio handover (SRHO), the method comprising: encapsulating an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) or Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) message into a media independent handover (MIH) frame, wherein the ANQP or ANDSF includes information corresponding to preregistration of a target radio link to be established over a target radio interface of a mobile node (MN); and sending the MIH frame over a source radio interface of the MN, wherein the MIH frame is relayed by a source network to a target network.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising: receiving, by a media independent handover function (MIHF) of the MN, a media independent handover (MIH) link preregistration ready request (MIH_Prereg_Ready.request) primitive from a proxy server, wherein the MIH_Prereg_Ready.request primitive includes an execution delay parameter specifying a delay period for activating the target radio interface of the MN.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising: transmitting, by the MIHF of the MN, an MIH link preregistration ready confirm (MIH_Prereg_Ready.confirm) primitive to the target MIHF over a tunnel extending through a source access network, wherein the MIH_Prereg_Ready.confirm primitive indicates the status of preregistration on the target radio link.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: receiving, by the MN, a link preregistration ready request (Link_Prereg_Ready.request) primitive from the target network, wherein the Link_Prereg_Ready.request primitive includes an execution delay parameter specifying a delay period for activating the target radio interface of the MN.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising: transmitting, by the MN, a link preregistration ready confirmation (Link_Prereg_Ready.confirm) primitive to the target network, wherein the Link_Prereg_Ready.confirm primitive indicates the status of preregistration on the target radio link.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein encapsulating the ANQP or ANDSF message into the MIH frame comprises: encapsulating an ANQP message into the MIH frame.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein encapsulating the ANQP or ANDSF message into the MIH frame comprises: encapsulating an ANDSF message into the MIH frame.